As a young banker, I opened a personal bank account for the new CEO of a large nonprofit organization. Although this led to a relationship that enabled me to secure some large accounts with his employer, it also came with some expectations on his part. This CEO began referring some of his newly hired executives who turned out to be ...
Market research and focus groups can be helpful, but people will often say one thing and do another. A friend’s church was trying to determine when to reopen their church during the pandemic. They took a survey and learned that 30% would be open to returning in the month of July. This church decided to open in July, counting on ...
As we’ve discussed in this series, intuition can be the way our mind subconsciously processes patterns from our past experiences. The risk in relying solely on your intuition can be when your intuition is being fed by your flesh, not the Holy Spirit. If what feeds your mind is greed, then every get-rich-quick scheme may feel in alignment with your ...
Michele Assad, a former CIA operative, once had the opportunity to interrogate a self-proclaimed terrorist wanting to sell intelligence. He claimed to previously be part of Saddam Hussein’s core team of assassins. As Michele met with this man, she kept sensing that something was wrong. Over time she had learned to trust her intuition, because intuition is the unconscious mind ...
Years ago, at a loan committee meeting, a colleague presented a loan request that looked excellent. The borrower appeared to have great excess collateral and a strong financial statement. I, like many others, was shocked when our CEO said, “Something doesn’t smell right. Let’s pass on this one.” Months later we learned another bank had made the loan and regretted ...
Many companies furloughed or dismissed staff during the pandemic and, as they rebuild, may be looking for new talent. Rather than squander this opportunity, it is a great time to develop some guidelines for selecting talented leaders for your company’s future. Now’s an opportune time to turn to the directions God gave Moses when he was overwhelmed and needed help. ...
One of the hardest decisions an employer makes is eliminating a position or job. As a country, our small business leaders have made many hard decisions. The question is, “Did we learn anything?” This is a time to reflect on questions such as, “Did I wait too long and why?” “Did I make the decision in a vacuum or did ...
In this series, we are looking at what we can learn from entrepreneurs about restarting our businesses post-lockdown. A business model is “a representation of how an organization makes money." Startups focus on business models because they need to find a way to be profitable. The business model your company established long ago may now no longer work. A business ...
As I write this broadcast, crude oil prices went negative for the first time ever. Sellers of oil are paying others to take their oil rather than find a place to store it. This is an unintended consequence of the stay-at-home orders of the coronavirus. Gas demand has plummeted, and the oil companies have more oil than they can possibly ...
When Jeff Bramstedt was in high school, he desperately wanted to play football. But as his parents prayed, they felt strongly that he was not to play football. Instead, Jeff’s parents told him that he could do competitive swimming and track and field. Jeff was frustrated but chose to make the best of his options. He threw his energy and ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
